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Loading...Why Aren’t We Addressing the Food Waste Problem?
- Becky Striepe
- September 17, 2012
- 5:00 pm
- 75 comments
Here in the U.S. we waste between 30 and 40 percent of the food we produce, but what are we doing about it?
Thirty to 40 percent is a pretty scary amount to waste, especially when food prices are on the rise and so many people aren’t able to feed themselves and their families. While we can do our parts as individuals to reduce food waste at home, there’s unfortunately food waste along the whole supply chain, from the farm to the supermarket to our plates.
Food waste is a systemic problem, and we waste food all along the chain from farm to table.
How the U.K. is Addressing Food Waste
The government here in the U.S. isn’t doing much to address our massive food waste problem, but last January, the U.K. launched a program aimed at cutting their food waste by 50 percent. The program combines education, better labeling, and supporting companies that are doing their part to reduce waste.
The education arm of the anti-food-waste campaign is called Love Food Hate Waste and combines posters and other public outreach with a website that’s chock full of information about the impacts of food waste and how folks can waste less food.
Over at Grist, Dana Gunders suggests some ways that we can start tackling our food waste problems here in the U.S. She points out that “you manage what you measure,” and suggests that we need to take a look at every part of our food production system to get a more firm idea of where we are wasting the most food. You can’t solve a problem until you identify what’s causing it, right?
The Problem with Use-By Dates
One cause of food waste that Gunders brings up is one that would be so easy to tackle right away: use-by dates.
Use-by dates aren’t the same as expiration dates, and food is usually safe to eat far beyond the use-by date on the label. Those dates aren’t standardized, and often food companies will use the date to estimate when the product will stop tasting quite as fresh.
So, after the use-by date, that loaf of bread might be a little stale, but you could have a few days or even a week before that bread becomes unsafe to eat. Stale bread might not be great on its own, but you can toast it or use it to make croutons or bread pudding that tastes just fine.
What About the Packaging?
The food waste that the article doesn’t talk about and that most folks don’t think about when we’re discussing this issue is packaging. Processed food and even produce so often comes in excessive, non-recyclable packaging that clutters our landfills and drains our resources. Opting out of over-packaged processed food is one way to cut your food-related waste that I wish were more part of the discourse.
What do you guys do to reduce your own food waste at home? Let’s share ideas and suggestions in the comments!
Read more: Conscious Consumer, Conservation, Do Good, Eco-friendly tips, Food, Green, Green Kitchen Tips, Home, Make a Difference, News & Issues, England, EU, food waste, how to reduce food waste, Love Food Hate Waste, reduce food waste, UK, wasted food
Becky Striepe
Becky Striepe is a freelance writer and vegan crafter living in Atlanta, Georgia. Her life’s mission is to make green crafting and vegan food accessible to everyone! Like this article? You can follow Becky on Twitter or find her on Facebook!
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people are talking
Thank you
Thanks.... I sure do miss the daily chill. Would love to see it back as a regular contribution.
A good idea for some to think about now. I have done this many times talking over and or reviewing…
thanks!
Great line I will remember it. Throw it in the river... excellent.
75 comments
+ add your ownshared...
Use by dates is mandatory in some countries- a totally useless ploy. Instead, over-packaging should be addressed. Avoiding food waste takes time, education, dedication and a lot of conscientious consumers. With the culture of instant gratification, this is an exercise in futility.
Some products do need an expiry date- due to the nature of the product. Again, this calls for common sense on the part of those who dream up these issues and producers. Politics ...
Noted.
noted
noted
Thanks
8 Tips for Avoiding Food Waste
ty
Thank you
It's horrible how much food we throw out all the time, even though it's perfectly fine and edible. I hardly ever throw anything out - using leftovers is a wonderful thing when you're a lazy, poor student :D It really takes little effort to minimize food waste at home and you save so much money along the process.
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